


Say Anything

by sourwulfur



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, College, Frat Boy Scott, Multi, Prompt Fic, RA Derek, Writer Stiles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-14
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2017-12-05 06:06:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/719736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sourwulfur/pseuds/sourwulfur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, and Derek Hale have been best friends since childhood. They've had their ups and downs; but, now it's time for a new challenge. College.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction: The Backstory

**Author's Note:**

> So, prompt fic! College bound. :) This chapter is really just an introduction, backstory to the main three getting to college. Enjoy!

Growing up in a small town has never been everyone's cup of tea. While the adults might have seen the security of it, able to let their children grow up in a place where the dangers of a big city are few and far between; the children did not always see it that way. In a small town, it is not uncommon for the kids to have a few more freedoms than a big city kid may have; such as staying out later at a younger age (as long as your parents knew where you were, and you weren't alone, of course). In the small, California town of Beacon Hills, it was no different.

 

Everyone knew everybody else, and there was a general sense of community in the town. The one grocer was open every day from before work until late night. The few gas stations in town were open most of the day, with the one on the highway into town open twenty-four hours. There was the bakery that gives everyone one free cookie on their birthday, and the salon across the way that everyone went to. The video rental was always busy on Friday and Saturday nights, with sporadic business throughout the week. There were three different mechanics, but they all got good business between each of them having stronger abilities with different problems. The flower shop got the busiest around Valentine's Day and Christmas, but was never low on customers. The diner was known for its homemade ice cream and apple pie, which everyone got at least once a week. There were two schools in town, the elementary and the high school. Students went to the elementary from kindergarten through sixth grade, and then graduated up to the building that houses both junior and senior high students. Town square was where everyone gathers on the Fourth of July for fireworks, bar-b-ques, and many different craft booths. Christmas saw the entire town lit up in white lights; and, New Years' was spent at home. Everyone was friendly, at least face-to-face. A small town was not unknown for its share of drama.

 

What could be considered the greatest downfall of a small town, however, would be the fact that everybody always knew everyone else's business. That was how, when Stiles Stilinski was ten years old, their old neighbor was waiting on their doorstep with food and a heartbroken expression when he and his father got home after his mother passed away in the hospital. That was how only minutes later, both of his best friends, Scott McCall and Derek Hale, were knocking on the front door with their mothers behind them.

 

The next week and a half had both Scott and Derek staying at the Stilinski house, never too far from Stiles' side. They were there as he tried to pretend that he was okay, as he tried to focus on making sure his dad was going to be fine, and as he finally broke late one night after John Stilinski had gone to bed. They let him cry, neither one quite sure what to do other than be there for him. None of them said anything about it the next morning.

 

After that, things slowly started to go back to normal; or, as normal as the Stilinski family could get without one of their members. Stiles spent a lot more time over at Scott's or Derek's as his dad started to pick up more hours at work, to try to keep busy and away from the liquor bottles after he and Stiles had a tear-filled conversation about it. John Stilinski was always there for his son when Stiles needed him, despite being busy with work. Sometimes, he would be more absent than either of them would like, but that never mattered when Stiles really needed him.

 

Stiles and Scott spent a lot of time over at the Hale house, which was out in the middle of the woods and played home not only to Derek, his siblings and parents; but, a few of his aunts, uncles, and cousins as well. Derek was a year older than the other two, but after he had stopped Jackson Whittemore from picking on them when they were in kindergarten and he was in first grade, the three of them became inseparable.

 

Beacon Hills walked on eggshells around both Stiles and his father for a long while afterward, but eventually, it was the same slow-paced, friendly place that it had always been before. Of course, anyone who knows anything about small towns would be able to tell that was when something was going to go wrong again.

 

It was about three years after Stiles' mother had died when he was home alone, making something simple for himself and his dad for dinner while trying to ignore the sinking feeling that something was wrong. He had no idea what it was or what it could be. All he knew was that something in his stomach was not settling right. Tapping his fingers on the kitchen counter while waiting for the water to boil, Stiles kept glancing over at the phone on the wall. After a few moments, Stiles crossed the room to it and picked it up, immediately dialing the number that would get him straight through to the phone on his dad's desk at the station downtown. Stiles bounced one leg on the ball of his foot, tapping his fingers on the phone receiver while waiting for the sheriff to answer the phone. “Please answer, please answer,” Stiles mumbled as he chewed on his lower lip, glancing over toward the pot on the stove to make sure it wasn't boiling. He let out a heavy breath when his dad answered the phone and cut off the man's typical phone greeting by saying, “Dad, is everything alright?”

 

“Stiles?” replied John, setting down the pen in his hand. “What? Yes. Why wouldn't it be? Are you okay?”

 

“I'm fine. S'just... I felt like... like something was wrong. I dunno. I’m sorry for bothering you.”

 

“Don't apologize, kiddo.” John ran a hand through his thinning hair and shook his head, though Stiles could not see him. “I'll be home really soon, okay? I’ve just got to sign off on one more paper and then I’m gone.”

 

“Yeah, alright. Okay. I’ll see you when you get here.” Stiles wet his lips and nodded with an inaudible sigh. “Be careful.”

 

“Always am.”

 

Stiles reluctantly hung up the phone and sighed, resting his head on the wall for a moment before he went back over to the stove to add the noodles to the boiling water (actually remember to turn the temperature of the burner down that time). The teen idly stirred the noodles in the water only to jump and splash himself with a bit of the water as there was a series of rapid knocking on the back door just off the kitchen. “Wha-?” Stiles half-way asked himself as he set aside the spoon and went over to the door to open it. The moment he did, he found himself with an armful of Scott. “Scott? What's...? Oh, my god. What happened?”

 

When Scott had pulled away from him, Stiles found that his best friend was sporting a black eye and bloody lip, his eyes holding a fear that Stiles had never seen before and never wanted to see again. “St-Stiles,” Scott stuttered out, seeming to have a hard time getting a handle on his breathing.

 

Stiles' eyes widened as he led Scott to a seat at the kitchen table before looking around for the extra inhaler they kept at their place just in case Scott stayed over and forgot his (it had happened one too many times before). He turned off the stove as he continued to look, rushing back to Scott's side a minute later when he found the inhaler in the table that was in the hallway. “Here,” Stiles said, handing it to his friend while sitting down in the other seat. “Scott, what happened?”

 

“H-he's got... mom. My mom, Stiles.” Scott's already pale face seemed to blanch even more at his own words and Stiles sat there shocked for a few moments before he scrambled up to rush to the phone, knocking over his chair and running into the wall in the process, nearly knocking the phone off the wall.

 

Stiles redialed his dad's number and glanced over at Scott as he rushed through an explanation, telling his dad to get over to the McCall's house, getting a nod from Scott in response to let him know that he was right in his assumption of where Melissa was. “Dad, _hurry_ ,” Stiles insisted before he hung up the phone, not wanting to waste more of his dad's time. “C'mon, let's go up to the bathroom.” The first aid kit was there and Stiles could clean Scott's split lip while trying to figure out more of what happened.

 

It was not the first time that Scott had shown up with unexplained injuries; but, Scott had always shrugged and laughed off any questions about them. That time, he remained quiet but followed Stiles up to the bathroom. “It's my fault,” Scott said in a quiet, broken voice after a few minutes of silence that allowed Stiles to clean the cut on his friend's lip before the two of them sat on the floor next to the bathtub. “I told him I didn't want to go to his place anymore.”

 

Stiles' brow furrowed in confusion as he looked over at Scott, but his friend was staring a spot in the floor hard enough to wear it thin while picking at a hangnail on his thumb. “Your dad?” Stiles asked softly after another moment when it finally clicked what Scott was talking about. Scott nodded once and Stiles inhaled sharply as he balled his fists on either side of him, glaring over at the wall in front of him. He had never liked that man, but now he finally knew why. It made him want to do things he would never voice. He pushed that aside, though; because at the moment, his friend needed him. Stiles absentmindedly wet his lips before he spoke again. “It's not your fault, Scott. You didn't... you didn't _do_ anything. Your mom's going to be fine. Dad won't... Dad won't let anything happen to her. You know that, right?”

 

Time seemed to go by slowly, but soon enough, Stiles and Scott were both on their way to the station. They had their hands clasped between them, mostly for Scott's comfort as he started to grow more distressed whenever Stiles moved too far away. They never had a chance to call Derek, but they knew they would afterward.

 

Once at the station, Scott let go of Stiles to run over to his mother and hug her tightly. She had some bruising on her face, but otherwise seemed fine; and, she laughed softly when Stiles rushed over to hug her as well. She hugged both teens tightly, refusing to let go until one of the deputies stated that she and Scott were needed to make their statements.

 

Stiles refused to leave the station as they made their statements, and he sat next to his dad in the main hallway. “They're going to be okay, right?” Stiles asked softly, wringing his hands together in his lap, fidgeting in his seat.

 

“I think they will be,” replied the sheriff with a nod. He knew it would take time, but Melissa and Scott had each other. Eventually, they would be okay. “They're going to stay with us for a while, alright, kiddo? Scott's really going to need you, and Derek.” Stiles nodded a little and John reached over to gently squeeze his son's shoulder. “Why don't you go call Derek? Just ask him to go to the house; Scott should be the one to tell him.”

 

“Yeah, okay,” Stiles nodded and bit his lower lip for a moment before he got up and let himself into his dad's office to use the phone in there.

 

A few hours later found John, Stiles, Melissa, and Scott arriving at the Stilinski house. Scott was nearly asleep in the backseat next to Stiles, but could not let himself fully rest enough to fall asleep. There were lights on inside, letting them know that Derek was there already; and, when they went inside, they found the older teen waiting in the living room on the couch, texting his sister. Derek had made some hot chocolate when he had gotten a short call from Stiles stating that they were leaving the station, and the mugs were waiting on the coffee table that had been moved out of the way. There were sleeping bags and pillows set up on the floor, much like they had been after Stiles' mother had died.

 

The adults went into the kitchen to talk quietly and give the teens some space, while the three boys took their places on the floor. That time, Scott had the sleeping bag in the middle. They sat in silence for a long while, sipping on the hot chocolate that none of them particularly wanted but helped them feel a little better all at the same time. That specific hot chocolate (the kind with the mini-marshmallows and a little bit of cinnamon mixed in) was only used when things were bad. Eventually, Scott began to talk quietly. He told them about how his dad had never really been mean until sometime after the divorce, when he started drinking. He had been staying over at his dad's the first time the man hit him; but, his dad apologized, said it was an accident and that it would never happen again. Of course, it was a lie. Every time, though, he apologized; and, Scott believed him.

 

When Scott had finally told his mother about why he hated going over to his dad's, she nearly had a breakdown and refused to let Scott over there anymore. His dad had gotten mad and showed up when Melissa was at work. She had shown up not long after her ex-husband and distracted the man from their son, telling Scott to get out of there.

 

After that, Scott tried to change the subject, so his friends followed suit and they discussed anything that came to mind that did not involve Scott's father. It did not take too long before the three of them were laying out on the floor to fall asleep, Stiles and Derek each hanging on to one of Scott's hands. They woke up each time that he did from a nightmare, providing comfort and soothing him back to sleep. None of them said anything about it the next morning.

 

Things slowly went back to normal in Beacon Hills, and Scott returned home with his mother a few days later. People walked on egg shells around them for a long time, many offering words of what they hoped would be comfort. No one really knew how to handle the fact that one of their own was awaiting time in the state prison. Teachers gave Scott easy A's for a long while, but eventually, they stopped and started treating him just like before. Scott smiled easily and never let anyone know how much it bothered him that his dad was like he was. He was there for his mother a lot, bringing her dinner every night that she worked late.

 

Scott and Stiles spent a lot of time over at Derek’s over the next few years; but, that changed when Derek was sixteen. He started not showing up when he was supposed to meet up with his friends, and would show up late, apologizing profusely. Eventually, he explained to them that he was seeing someone, someone older and it had to be a secret. Stiles and Scott agreed to keep his secret, and neither one told a soul that Derek was seeing Miss Kate, the substitute teacher for their algebra class.

 

Somehow, though Stiles was never exactly sure _how_ given that everyone in town knew everyone else's business, that secret never did get out. At least, not until Kate tried to kill the entirety of the Hale family. Stiles, Derek, and Scott had been at lunch, talking and laughing with one another when they saw Sheriff Stilinski walk into the room. Everyone froze and the loud chatter that filled the room died out. Nobody knew why John was there, but nobody thought for a moment that it was a good thing he was. The sheriff frowned a little as he walked over to the table where his son and his friends were, sighing once he reached it. “Derek,” he said slowly, trying to think of the best way to do this. “I need you and your siblings to get your things, please.” Derek tensed visibly and nodded a little, looking across the cafeteria to where his older sister was sitting with her older friends. “I'll wait for you out front.”

 

Stiles and Scott reluctantly stayed where they were as Derek went to go talk to Laura and the two of them got their younger siblings from a few other tables. Confused and curious chatter filled the room once the Hales left, and Scott shared a worried expression with Stiles. Neither one of them were able to focus throughout the rest of the day, and after classes were over, they met Melissa out front since she was supposed to take them home that afternoon. However, she ended up taking them to the Hale house, instead. “Derek is still at the station with his parents and Peter,” Melissa told them as she drove down the long, familiar drive way. “But, Laura is home with the other kids and some of the other adults. I’m sure he'll fill you in whenever he gets home. You can leave your school things in the car; the bag at your feet has your guys' clothes and stuff, Stiles.”

 

“Okay,” Stiles replied softly, nodding a little as he wet his lips.

 

Stiles' inhaled sharply as they pulled up to the Hale house. One corner was police taped off, and it was noticeably darker than the rest of the house, as if someone had set fire to it. Neither one of them said anything after saying good-bye to Melissa, walking up the front steps to the house they had spent a lot of time at. Laura opened the door before either one had a chance to reach for the handle and surprised them by tugging them both into a firm hug. “Mind helping me make dinner for the little ones?” she asked them with a somewhat forced smile as she pulled away, the expression growing more sincerity when both boys agreed.

 

Neither one of them asked what had happened, though they both itched to. It was a conversation for them to have with Derek, after all. They were done with dinner and half-way through washing the dishes as Eli, the youngest of Laura's brothers, kept watch on their elementary-school aged sisters and cousins in the television room, when Laura perked up a little and looked toward the doorway. “They're home,” she said, setting aside the plate she was drying before rushing toward the front door, opening it before her parents, Uncle Peter, and Derek could reach it.

 

Derek’s gaze immediately snapped to Stiles and Scott over Laura’s shoulder when they stepped into the main hall, each one wearing a small, reassuring smile. They still had no idea what was going on; but, whatever it was, they would get through it. They always did. Derek, Stiles, and Scott made their way upstairs to Derek’s room after his parents both said their hellos, hugging each boy before going into the television room to join their children. Peter just nodded at them in acknowledgment before joining the others.

 

Stiles, Scott, and Derek all sat on Derek’s bed, neither one saying anything for a long while before Derek finally started to explain what was going on. “I guess, to tell the whole story, I have to start at the beginning,” he said slowly, absentmindedly wetting his lips. He seemed nervous to explain, but he had permission from his family. Both Stiles and Scott's parents knew, anyway.

 

The younger two remained quiet as Derek carefully explained about the supernatural and how his family was mostly made up of werewolves (Scott fell into a fit of nervous laughter while Stiles just said, “I knew it”). Once Scott seemed to come to terms with the information, and Stiles was done asking questions (for the time being, anyway), Derek went on to explain about the Argents and how they were a family of hunters. Kate was, apparently, one of them; and, she had been using Derek to get to the Hale family. She had tried to burn the house down with the family locked inside. She had not counted on Peter having not been inside since he was out for a walk. The man had shown up just after Kate and her hired help lit one corner of the house on fire. Peter knocked out all of them and put out the fire before he called the police, and she was arrested. She was going to spend the rest of her life locked up in a mental hospital (because anyone ranting and raving about a family of werewolves had to be crazy, right?). “I nearly got my family killed,” Derek said softly, his gaze not moving from a spot on his bedspread.

 

“Derek, no...” Stiles said softly, brow furrowing a little as he shook his head. “It's not your fault.”

 

Stiles knew he could say it a hundred times, but getting Derek to believe it would be another story all together. The three of them sat up talking until late in the night. Derek told them more about the werewolves, and everything that had been said to Kate, everything that Kate had lied to him about. Eventually, they all fell asleep on Derek’s bed, and that time, Derek was in the middle. None of them said anything about it the next morning.

 

Kate Argent and her attempt on the Hale family was the talk of Beacon Hills for a long time. Thankfully, Derek’s name was not dragged in on the gossip, as his name was never released because he was a minor involved in the case. It took a while before Derek started to let go of the guilt that ate at him; but, even then, it was more of him just pushing it aside instead of letting it go. He never quite trusted people the same way again, but the good thing was that he no longer had to lie to his best friends about the “camping trip” his family took once a month, that coincidentally coincided with the full moon.

 

The next few years seemed to pass in a blur of activity and stereotypical high school moments until Stiles and Scott found themselves having to say good-bye to Derek, who was going to college across the country. It was a private school in Savannah, Georgia that specialized in arts and sciences majors. Derek had gotten a full ride between his baseball scholarship, academic scholarships, and a grant that he was given. He was going to major in architecture with a minor in Latin. Benton Academy of Arts and Sciences was going to be an adventure of a lifetime, Laura insisted to her brother as she finally got him to agree to go. He was not sure about going so far away from home; but, once both his friends insisted he should go if he wanted to, he finally sent off the letter stating he would be there for orientation.

 

“So, we'll see you at Christmas, right?” Stiles said, rocking back and forth on his feet as they stood in the airport, waiting for the announcement that Derek’s flight was leaving. He and his dad had made a road trip to the school a few days prior to get his things to the campus; but, he would actually be flying out to move in that afternoon. “And Thanksgiving?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll be there, Stiles,” insisted Derek with a soft laugh and one of those half-smiles he was known for.

 

“Good, 'cause Scott and I would just go there if you tried to flake out on us.” Stiles nodded with a smirk as Scott nodded, too. “Food and all.”

 

That year was one of the hardest. Derek missed the younger two boys a lot, though he busied himself with school work and a few friends he made on campus. None of them were anyone he got really close to, not even the few werewolves he ran into. Scott and Stiles made the most of their senior year, Scott getting a girlfriend (though it did not last longer than a few weeks), and Stiles became friends with Lydia Martin, finally getting over his crush on her. Stiles somehow managed to graduate the top of his class (he swore he had no idea how that happened), and both he and Scott got enough scholarships to go anywhere that they wanted for college. “Wherever we go, we're going together,” Stiles insisted with a nod as he and Derek walked one of the paths in the woods a few days before Derek was due back in Savannah to prepare for being an RA in one of the dorms that fall. “We've got so many options. I just dunno which one's better.”

 

Derek had to leave before finding out what Stiles and Scott's final choice of school was, and he did not get much of a chance to talk to them after that. So, it came as a surprise when a few weeks later, he went to go meet the group of freshmen that would be living in the hall he was overseeing, he found Scott and Stiles in the ranks, both of them with amused smirks on their faces. “Oh, come on,” laughed Stiles with a smile as he ran his hand through his hair, which he finally started to grow out after having kept it short since his mother died. “Like we would really go anywhere else.”

 

“Can't be rid of us that easily, dude,” Scott said with a dopey smile and a shake of his head.

 

“You two are idiots,” replied Derek with a heavy sigh, though his lips were upturned slightly in a way that let the younger two boys know that their friend actually was happy to see them.

 

Scott could barely contain his excitement as he shifted from side to side, ignoring the way the other people that were going to be on their floor seemed confused by the conversation between the three of them. He guessed it was understandable, because looking at them, no one would ever assume they were the best of friends. “It's gonna be like old times. The three of us, together!”


	2. One: Start of Campus Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Stiles gets stitches, schedules are gone over, and things start to settle into place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken so long to update! Real life has gotten in the way of a lot of my writing time and has fought with my muse.

Scott and Stiles were roommates, not that Derek could be too surprised; nor was he really surprised when they did not pay much attention when he had gone over the rules for the dorm building they were in, as well as the schedule for the dining hall on the main floor. The group of students then played ice breaker games to get to know one another a bit more. There were a few students there that had gone to school in Beacon Hills with Derek, Stiles, and Scott; including, Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore, and Danny Mahealani. There were some new faces as well; Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd (call him Boyd or get hit), Matt Daehler, and Allison Argent. Scott tried to subtly stare at Allison the entire time, but both Stiles and Derek noticed. After orientation, most of the students went down to the fair in the quad, where there were booths set up for signing up to different clubs, sororities, or fraternities. Scott went with Danny to go sign up for lacrosse tryouts, but Stiles stayed in the dorms with Derek.

 

“Aren't you going to go see what's there?” Derek asked Stiles, who spun himself around once on Derek’s desk chair.

 

“Nope,” replied Stiles with a shrug. “I know all the extracurricular activities. I won't have time. I’m taking a novel writing course, and I have to actually have a _finished_ novel by the end of the semester.”

 

“Shit.” Derek laughed as he sat down on his bed, shaking his head a little. “That's a lot of pressure for a freshman.”

 

Stiles lifted his shoulders in a shrug, swinging from side to side without moving his feet from their spot on the ground while he toyed with one of Derek’s pens. “I'll get it done. I just need all the time I can get for my other classes, too. I mean, 'm not going to be anti-social or anything; but, I don't think I could hang out with people, focus on school, and be in clubs or sports.”

 

“Maybe a smart idea. Wouldn't want you to get burnt out before your first year's even over.”

 

“You're going to have to show me the best spots for quiet on campus.” Stiles nodded resolutely and tossed the pen in his hands at Derek when his friend lifted a brow in response. “Don't give me that look. I know you've scoped them out already.”

 

Derek sighed heavily and rolled his eyes, but relented and said, “Fine. I’ll show you tomorrow.”

 

Stiles grinned at Derek and spun around fully in the chair once more. “C'mon, let's go get food. I’m _starving_. There's got to be a place that does good pizza here. Plus, you need to show me more of Savannah. I don't remember much of last time.”

 

They both smiled at the mention of Stiles' visit out to the campus the year before. He had been there under a ruse of visiting the college; but, everyone knew it was just an excuse for a free trip to Georgia to visit Derek. Stiles had been mostly out of it, though, because he ended up catching a cold; and, the medication he took was _supposed_ to be non-drowsy. The photo they both had on their instagrams of Stiles passed out on Derek’s shoulder on the bus told the truth behind that lie on the pill box.

 

“Alright,” replied Derek as he stood up. “We've got to be back in time for that party Scott's dragging us to, though.”

 

“Yeah, yeah. We've plenty of time.”

 

The two of them talked and laughed as they rode a bus from campus to downtown Savannah, where there was a two-story outdoor shopping area right along the river, many cafes and places to eat. The houses were all old, centered around small square parks in the middle of each block. There were smaller business filtered in the houses and in the middle was a slightly shaded area with different food stands and some handmade crafts. It was bright and sunny that afternoon. They made their way through several stores before finally stopping to get something to eat. Stiles groaned in appreciation when Derek sat the plate of pizza down on the table in front of him. They were sitting at one of the many tables outdoors under one of the shad trees. “You are my favorite,” Stiles told Derek with a grin before he took a bite of the pizza.

 

“Yeah, I know,” replied Derek with a chuckle. “Scott's been complaining.” Derek nodded, smirking a little before he stole a drink of Stiles' soda.

 

“Hey! That's mine, you jerk.” Stiles kicked him lightly underneath the table and Derek just shrugged in response. “I take that back. You're no longer my favorite. Scott is.”

 

“That really hurts, Stiles.” Derek mockingly lifted a hand to his chest, chuckling when Stiles threw a piece of green pepper at him. “Food fight, mature.”

 

“Says the one who dumped water on me to wake me up over the summer.”

 

Stiles arched an eyebrow with an amused smirk and Derek lifted his shoulders in a shrug again. “Someone had to get your lazy ass out of bed.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“So, how long have you and Stiles been friends?” Allison asked, tucking a strand of her brunette hair behind an ear as she walked through the activities fair next to Scott.

 

“Oh, since forever,” replied Scott with a nod and a laugh, ruffling his hair idly. “I honestly don't remember him ever _not_ being there. Derek’s been our best friend since kindergarten... well, he was in first grade, but still. Jackson, from our floor? Yeah, he'd been a dick to us and Derek stopped him. Best friends ever since.”

 

Allison smiled as she listened to Scott talk, crossing her arms over her chest as they walked. “I think it's great the three of you are here together. So, he had no idea? Derek, I mean.”

 

They both laughed softly as Scott shook his head with a smug grin. “Nah. He knew Stiles and I _refused_ to go to school anywhere that did not accept us both. I dunno why he did not think we'd follow him here. I mean, we've been there for each other through a lot of bad shit. It was worth it to see the look on his face, though. So, uh... anything you were thinking of taking up?”

 

“Mmm... we'll I’ve already joined archery. I was thinking of pledging a sorority with Erica. I know she wants me to.”

 

Scott's brow lifted a little in surprise, but he smiled as he said, “You and Erica know each other from before?”

 

Allison nodded with a soft laugh smiling when the blonde girl in question caught her eye and waved. “Yeah, we went to the same school together,” she answered as she waved back. “It was an all girls' school up until our senior year. That was how we met Boyd and Isaac. She's got a thing for Boyd, but won't admit it.”

 

“And Isaac?” questioned Scott, stopping to sit on one of the benches next to Allison.

 

She smiled and nodded in the curly-haired teen's direction, where he stood talking to Danny, both of them at the sign up sheet for lacrosse. “I think he and your friend are hitting it off pretty well. S'he a good guy?”

 

“Danny? Yeah,” replied Scott with a nod and a soft laugh. “Everyone loves Danny. It's hard not to.”

 

Several hours later, the group from their floor found themselves wandering into one of the frat houses on campus, the very frat that Scott and Jackson had both pledged to. They were only missing Derek and Stiles, who had texted to say they were going to be late because Stiles somehow already ended up needing to run and get stitches. He insisted that he was fine, he just ran into a door somehow. Derek assured Scott that Stiles was fine, that it really was just a minor injury and that they would be there soon but Stiles could not have any alcohol.

 

“How did you manage to run into a door?” Scott asked exasperatedly when his best friends showed up a short while later.

 

Stiles laughed a little and shrugged as he said, “I was distracted while walking and some dude opened a door. It was in my way.”

 

Scott sighed and shook his head, looking to Derek when Derek returned to hand Stiles a thing of soda. “You're supposed to make sure he doesn't do things like that,” Scott stated, ignoring Stiles' protests while Derek shrugged.

 

“Can't be his babysitter all the time,” replied the elder of the three.

 

Stiles huffed and shoved the both of them. “I hate you both. Isaac's my new favorite,” he stated with a nod just as Isaac walked by.

 

The curly-haired teen lifted his brows in question before he laughed softly. “Alright, then,” he replied, smiling brightly when Stiles beamed at him in response.

 

Scott started to fuss over Stiles again, making sure that the nurse that had given him the stitches had done it correctly, until Allison showed up and asked him to dance. He looked very conflicted until Stiles gave him a slight shove. “Go, dude, I’m cool here,” Stiles stated with a smile. Both he and Derek chuckled when Scott beamed at them before disappearing to the dance floor with Allison. “Jeeze, he's already gone for her.”

 

Derek made a non-committal hum as he took a drink out of the plastic cup in his hand, watching the others around them. Most everyone was somehow making a fool out of themselves, whether it was flirting or nearly hooking up there in front of everyone, or pulling some kind of stunt that would end in an injury. That was part of why Derek never liked frat parties. Plus, it typically always ended in some kind of hazing. The party was only about half-way through, Stiles turning down another person asking him to dance with a claim of a headache that he did not really have, when the younger of the two smiled at Derek and said, “Wanna get out of here? Scott'll be wrapped up in Allison all night. I doubt he'll even miss us.”

 

Derek rolled his eyes, and let Scott know they were leaving anyway before following Stiles out of the frat house. They both breathed easier once they were out of the crowded building. Stiles put his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, kicking at a rock as they walked in silence that only lasted for a few minutes before Stiles said, “So, my novel for my writing class? I’m thinking about making it about werewolves.”

 

“Another _Twilight_?” questioned Derek with a heavy groan, earning himself a scoff from Stiles.

 

Stiles shoved Derek a little, scowling when the young man did not even flinch. “I hate you.” Stiles frowned only for a few moments before a faint smile tugged on his lips once again, knowing that Derek was well aware that he did not mean those words. “No, but I was thinking we never see stories about the real werewolves. Everyone would think it was fiction but it would be different, y'know. Maybe could get people past the general fear of you silly pups.”

 

“Don't make me hit you,” Derek replied, throwing a glare at his friend's direction at the last comment from the younger teen. Stiles simply beamed at Derek in response, knowing that his friend would never actually hit him unless he _deserved_ it.

 

“Will you help me? I’m still not clear on a lot of things and I wanna get it right.” Stiles smiled over at his friend once again before putting his focus on the pavement in front of him so that he did not trip on anything. He'd already gotten himself injured once that evening, he did not need another.

 

Derek chuckled a little, but nodded as he said, “Yeah, sure, I’ll help you.”

 

“Great!” Stiles smiled a little brighter before he started rambling on about his ideas for the story. Derek just listened quietly the entire walk back to the dorm and the elevator ride up to their floor.

 

As they walked out onto the floor, Stiles waved at a few people that he did not remember from orientation but figured they had been there before looking to Derek. “Wanna watch a movie? We brought the big screen,” he said, absentmindedly reaching up to ruffle his hair only to wince when it tugged on the stitches near his hairline.

 

“Don't do that,” stated Derek, pulling Stiles' hand away from his hair before nodding. “Yeah, alright. None of those ridiculous sci-fi movies, though.”

 

“Hey, they're not ridiculous!” Stiles huffed a little as he and Derek walked to the dorm room he was sharing with Scott.

 

They both changed into more comfortable clothes, Derek borrowing some of Scott's sleep pants, before they sat on Stiles' bed with their backs to the wall, which gave them the best view of the television. “So, we've all of Netflix to choose from,” Stiles stated, grabbing the wireless PlayStation controller off of the table next to his bed. “What d'you wanna see?”

 

The two of them argued back and forth a few times before settling on a comedy that neither one of them had seen yet. As it was going through the opening credits, they moved enough to use pillows and blankets behind them to make their seating arrangement more comfortable. Half-way through the movie, Stiles rested his head against Derek’s shoulder, smiling a bit when his friend wrapped an arm around his waist. Being close like that was nothing new to them, and Stiles always found it easier to sleep whenever Derek or Scott were next to him, though it was easiest when it was Derek. It did not take long for Derek to realize that Stiles had fallen asleep, but he did not make any motion to move the other teen until the movie was over.

 

Derek carefully moved Stiles so that his friend was laying comfortably on the bed before he turned off the PlayStation and the television. He then quietly left the room after grabbing his clothes from the day, not wanting to wake Stiles any. In his own bedroom, he took his phone and keys out of his jeans pocket, placing them on his desk before putting the clothes into the hamper near the closet. His room was the smallest on the floor with barely enough room for his bed, desk, and a very small art station in the corner that held all his media in plastic tubs. It was cramped and he knew he would feel trapped if he spent too much time in the room. He would worry about that later, though. For the time being, he was going to get started on the summer work he had not done over the summer like he was supposed to.

 

For his sketching class he was supposed to have made a single sketch for each day of summer break. He did half of them already, he just had to finish the rest of them before classes began the next week. He sat at his desk with the bright desk-lamp on, pointed at his sketchbook so that he could see what he was doing more clearly, assisted even more by the reading glasses he tried to deny that he owned. His sketchbook was predominantly filled with drawings of his family, including the Stilinskis and the McCalls. However, one thing that Laura liked to point out was the fact that every one of his sketchbooks, every time, would always have a few more drawings of Stiles than anyone else. She read a lot into that, but Derek did not. He did not want to. That led to something that would complicate things more than what was needed. Stiles was one of his best friends, and that was all there was to it.  
  


The next few days went by in a flurry of activity that included the freshman getting to know the campus more, making sure schedules were correct, getting books from the campus bookstore (or wherever someone chose to get their books), and trips to the local stores to get last minute items that were forgotten.

 

The first day of classes was the Monday following the freshmen's arrival, and was the easiest day for everyone. It basically consisted of going to whichever classes were had that day, getting syllabuses, and getting to know the teachers and classmates. The first week was basically just introductory things like that. “Monday: 8am to 9:15 am is German 110,” Stiles stated, writing down his schedule on the whiteboard that was hanging up on the back of his and Scott's door. “10am to 12pm is Chemistry 110; and 2pm to 2:50pm is Mythology 115. Tuesday I’ve got English 315 from 10am to 11:30, Gym from 12pm to 1pm, and Algebra 110 from 4pm to 6pm. Wednesday and Friday are repeats of Monday, but every other Wednesday I have Gym lab, which is basically health, from 12:30 to 1:15pm; and, no Chemistry on Friday. Thursday is a repeat of Tuesday without Algebra.”

 

“You didn't take history?” questioned Scott, tipping his head to one side as he looked over to his friend.

 

Stiles laughed and smiled over at Scott. “How much did you sleep last night? Dude, Mythology is considered a history course.”

 

“Oh! Right, I knew that.” Scott smiled sheepishly at his roommate before chuckling a bit. “Write mine while you're up there?”

 

“Yeah, sure. We'll use blue for your schedule. Lemme have it.”

 

Stiles then turned to face the whiteboard as Scott read off his classes: English 110, Music 110, Astronomy 115, American History 110A, Gym, Algebra 110, and gym lab. They were all basically in the same time slots as Stiles. They at least had both gym classes and algebra together. They had no classes with Derek, but he was taking a class for drawing and sketching, a general art class, a class on architecture, classical Latin, archaic Latin, trigonometry, and geology.

 

“So, how did you even get into the 300 level writing course?” Scott asked Stiles as his friend put away the dry erase markers that he had been using for the calendar.

 

“Well, I took 110 in high school; have fun with that, by the way. It's _all_ essays of different types,” Stiles explained with a smirk. He chuckled when Scott groaned and lifted his pillow to smash down over his face, muffling some kind of statement about leaving him there to die. “Don't worry, I’ll help you. Because of the writing portfolio I turned in with my application they decided that if I wanted to, I could pass on 115 and 215, the poetry and short story classes. They got special permission from the dude in charge of that department. It's pretty cool.”

 

Scott peeked out from underneath his pillow with a goofy grin at his best friend and said, “I told you one day you were going to be a famous author. This just proves you're well on your way, dude.”

 

Stiles smiled but rolled his eyes and grabbed his favorite, lightweight “t-shirt” hoodie before saying, “C'mon, let's go get wolf-boy and go get some food.”

 

“Dining hall or out?” questioned Scott as he tossed the pillow aside to hop up from the bed.

 

“Mmm... I think we've earned a night out for surviving our first week on campus.”

 

Scott nodded his agreement and the two of them went to the room at the very end of the hall, Derek’s room, and knocked on the door. When he opened it a minute later, Stiles straightened up from where he had been leaning against the wall with a smile and said, “C'mon, we're going out for food.”

 

“I don't get a say in this do I?” questioned Derek, sighing heavily though there was a faint upturn of his lips.

 

Both of the younger teens shook their head in response and Stiles reached out to grab Derek’s wrist, tugging on it in an attempt to pull the stronger man out of the room. “C'mon, Der.”

 

Derek pulled a face at the nickname, but he nodded a little. “Lemme grab my keys.” Once Derek had his keys and wallet, the three of them started to walk to the elevator so they could take it down to the ground floor. “So where are we going?”

 

“Chinese,” both Scott and Stiles answered simultaneously, though they had not discussed it before. They both grinned and laughed, though Derek did not get what was so funny.

 

He rolled his eyes at his younger friends but nudged them in the direction of the doors on the opposite side of the building from the tower they lived in. “C'mon, I know a good place.”

 

Dinner that evening was full of talking, jokes and teasing. It was a typical night for the three teens that had grown up together, and no one was surprised when Stiles almost knocked over his soda due to gesturing with his hands when he got excited. Derek, thankfully, caught the cup before it actually spilt anything. Stiles spent the next few minutes grumbling about stupid werewolves and their awesome reflexes. “Not all of us can be graceful,” Stiles huffed, kicking Derek under the table as both his friends made fun of his lack of coordination. Despite that, Stiles found it to be a great night, and he was glad that the three of them were together again. Their friendship had changed slightly through the years, they were no longer as dependent on one another; but, they were still there when it mattered, and that was the important part. Still, something told him, as they slowly walked back to campus and a warm breeze ruffled his hair, that everything was going to change.


	3. Two: Homework and Nights Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Chinese is shared and Scott may or may not have had a study date.

“Oh, I love this song,” Stiles declared as he reached over Derek to where the young man's computer was on his desk. It had just started to play the song _Wonderwall_ by Oasis. Stiles hummed along with the music as he went back to work on his math assignment. He, Derek, and Scott were sitting in Derek’s crowded room working on their separate homework assignments. Derek was doing some sort of drawing he would not let any of them see, and Scott was trying to work on his first essay for English 110. Derek and Stiles sat on Derek’s bed, while Scott sat on the floor with his legs stretched out in front of him to balance his laptop. “I didn't think you liked this song.”

 

“It's catchy,” replied Derek with a shrug of his shoulder, using one of his fingers to smudge the drawing he was working on in several places.

 

“It's my favorite.”

 

“I know.” Derek smiled a little without taking his gaze away from his sketchbook, though Stiles smiled over at him before looking to the math equations on his paper once again.

 

Scott simply shook his head faintly, smiling a little as he attempted to not lift his focus from his paper. “I think I’ve got the introduction finished,” he announced after another moment. “Stiles, read it over for me?”

 

Stiles sat aside his notebook and reached forward, leaning down enough to be able to grab Scott's computer when the other teen leaned forward to hand it off. “Let's see,” Stiles practically mumbled to himself as he turned the laptop around to see the screen. The room became quiet again, save for the air conditioning and the music, as Stiles read over the paragraph that Scott had written. “It's good. A few grammar errors, but I’ll read for those when you're done.” With a nod, Stiles leaned forward to pass the laptop back to Scott, who took the object with a thankful smile.

 

“What're you writing about?” Derek questioned without looking away from his sketchbook.

 

“Home,” replied Scott with a nod and he stretched his arms high above his head with a slight groan. “It's not due until next week, but if I don't start now, I won't.”

 

Derek nodded a little in understanding, smiling at Scott as he finally lifted his gaze from his sketchbook. “I'm sure it'll be good, Scott.”

 

The three of them had their attention turned toward the doorway at the sound of a knock on the frame. Derek had an open-door policy as the RA. As long as he was not sleeping or trying to cram together a last-minute assignment, if he was in his dorm the door was open. It made it a little less intimidating for students to stop by and talk to him if they did not have to knock on the door.

 

Allison smiled in at them as she leaned against the door frame, her hand resting on the wood where she'd knocked. “Hi,” she said, gaze settling on Scott as her smile brightened a little more. “I've got to steal Scott for a bit. We've got that astronomy lab paper to start.”

 

“Oh, yeah!” replied Scott, scrambling to get up and shut his laptop all at the same time. “Yeah, I forgot. Let me get my things.” Allison nodded and gestured over her shoulder as she said she'd meet him by the elevators before walking off. Scott then turned to his best friends with his dopey smile. “I'll see you guys later, yeah?”

 

“Don't have too much fun,” Stiles encouraged with a nod, chuckling a little when Scott rolled his eyes. “Get outta here, Romeo.”

 

Scott gave the two of them a salute before he rushed out of there to grab his astronomy notebook and folder from the dorm he shared with Stiles. Stiles chuckled again, shaking his head slightly with an amused smile. “Scott's totally gone for her, man,” Stiles said to Derek as he shifted where he sat in an attempt to get more comfortable. “So, what are _you_ working on then, Mr. Secrets?”

 

“Sketching assignment,” Derek answered with a shrug, though he did not move the sketchbook any to let Stiles see what he was actually working on. He smirked a little at the huff of breath Stiles let out in annoyance at the vague answer.

 

“Well, can I see?”

 

Derek idly wet his lips and nodded a little as he slid the pencil into the small spiral that held the papers of the sketchbook together. He then tilted the book enough for Stiles to see what was a sketch of Scott sitting there on the floor, his head against the wall as he laughed so hard his eyes were closed and Stiles sat on the bed, smiling with a hand mid-air in some sort of thoughtless gesture he was known to make while speaking.

 

Stiles smiled as he looked over the drawing depicting a moment from earlier in their study session. The details were impressive to the point that Stiles was unsure how Derek had even noticed all of it. “You should've included yourself, Der,” Stiles commented with a nod, looking to the man that sat next to him.

 

“Nah, the assignment's on people who mean the most to me,” replied Derek with a slight nod, closing the sketchbook as he sat it aside. “Who better than my best friends?”

 

Stiles smiled at that, nodding a little before nudging Derek with his shoulder. “C'mon. Let's go get something to eat.”

 

Several minutes later had the two friends sitting across from one another at what they had already labeled their favorite Chinese place. The front door was left propped open and the ceiling fans were on, though it did not do much to rid the place of the heat that lingered from the day. Neither Stiles nor Derek seemed to mind, though, as they sat there, talking and laughing while stealing food from one another and complaining about the other's antics. Stiles flicked a piece of ice at Derek, making the elder teen flinch, both of them laughing even as Derek narrowed his eyes at Stiles. “What? You deserved it,” replied Stiles with an innocent smile. “Eating my food.”

 

“You stole mine first,” Derek countered, arching an eyebrow as he picked up an egg roll off of his plate.

 

“Details.” Stiles waved a hand dismissively, while using the other hand to pick up his soda in order to take a drink from the red plastic cup. “Besides, you weren't going to eat all of it.”

 

“Oh, and you'll eat all of yours?”

 

Stiles opened his mouth to reply only to snap it shut after a moment of silence. “You bring up a fair point, but as I do not like it, I’m choosing to ignore it.” Stiles nodded several times before taking another drink of his soda. He then sat the cup down and crossed his arms over his chest. “Almost ready to get out of here?”

 

“Yeah, I’ll get the check.” Derek nodded and gestured for their server, even as Stiles protested against Derek paying for their food. “Shush. You'll get it next time.” Derek nodded once again as he paid for the meal, leaving a decent tip as well before the two of them got up and left the restaurant.

 

The air was not still as it was inside once they were out on the sidewalk, heading toward the bus stop that would take them back to campus. “So, how's your book coming?” Derek questioned after a moment, placing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.

 

“I've got a middle for the story,” answered Stiles, idly reaching up with a hand to scratch the back of his neck. “I just... I have _no_ idea how or where to start it.” He let out a heavy breath as he turned his gaze up to the sky, where a crescent moon hung in the air with a sea of stars surrounding it, barely visible in the dim streetlights that lit the way.

 

Stiles dropped his gaze with a slight smile when Derek gently nudged his shoulder with his own. “You're over-thinking it. Take a step back, breathe. I’m sure you'll come up with something amazing.”

 

Stiles rolled his eyes, though the smile never left his face. “You're supposed to say that. You're my best friend.”

 

Both teens chuckled at that, Derek shaking his head a little. “Doesn't make it untrue.”

 

“Whatever you say, wolf boy.” Stiles smirked, shaking his head as well only to chuckle when Derek nudged his shoulder again in protest of the nickname. “C'mon, let's hurry before we miss the bus.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was well after midnight, and Stiles was almost asleep when Scott quietly slipped into their shared dorm. He placed his backpack on the floor next to his bed, and did not even bother attempting to change before collapsing on his bed with a faint sigh. “Have fun on your study date?” Stiles asked, mumbling into his pillow.

 

The sound of his best friend's voice caused Scott to jump and nearly slip off the edge of his bed. “Jesus,” the slightly elder teen said with a breathless laugh. “Didn't realize you were awake. And it wasn't a date.”

 

“Scott...” Stiles laughed tiredly, pressing his face into his pillow more before looking across the room to where he could just make out the outline of his friend's form in the dark. “It's after midnight. You've been with her since four this afternoon.”

 

“It wasn't a date, though. We just... studied, and then went out to get something to eat; and, then for ice cream.” Scott's voice held a slightly dreamy quality to it the more he spoke and Stiles could all but see his friend's dopey smile. “It was fun. She said she had fun.”

 

“You should ask her out.” Stiles nodded as he shifted over to lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling.

 

“What? No. I mean... what if she says no?”

 

Stiles could just hear the frown and the worry in Scott's voice without even looking across the room and he chuckled a little. “She won't, but if so... then at least you tried. You won't know unless you try, dude. Ask Derek! I’m sure he'll agree with me.” Stiles sat up on his bed when he heard Scott getting up and heading toward the door. “Not now, dude. He's probably asleep.”

 

“Nah. His light was on when I came in,” replied Scott, opening the door. Stiles sighed but threw off his covers and followed Scott quietly out of the room after making sure he had the key to the dorm. They walked carefully to avoid waking up anyone else in the hall, but they were still not quiet enough that Derek was not aware they were coming. He opened the door a crack before the two even reached it, letting them walk on in.

 

Derek was sitting at the art station at the back of the room, working on his architecture assignment. “What're you losers still doing up?” Derek asked, rolling his eyes when Stiles ceremoniously dropped down onto his bed and spread out, taking up most of the space.

 

“Could ask you the same thing,” replied Stiles with a nod as he crossed his arms underneath Derek’s pillow, propping his head up enough that he could just see over the headboard to where Derek sat while Scott made himself comfortable on the desk chair after shutting the door behind them.

 

“Homework.” Derek gestured to the large grid paper spread out on the art desk before him.

 

Stiles frowned a little as he watched Derek go over the requirements for his assignment. “Why didn't you say earlier? I would've stopped bugging you.”

 

The two of them had played video games and sat around talking after getting back from eating, and Derek had not once said anything about needing to go do some homework. If he had, Stiles would have pushed him out of the door to go do that. Derek simply lifted his shoulders in a shrug as he sat the assignment sheet aside. He had not wanted to leave Stiles earlier, it was as simple as that; and, he was not going to make a big deal out of it. He would get the assignment done.

 

“Stiles thinks I should ask out Allison,” Scott said after a moment, realizing that the topic of Derek’s assignment had been dropped, though Stiles' lips were pursed slightly as if he had something else to say, but was holding back.

 

Derek nodded as he grabbed a graphite pencil that wrote lightly enough that it was very easy to erase if he made an error. “He's right,” replied Derek, chuckling a little when Stiles lifted a triumphant fist in the air before crossing the arm underneath the pillow again. Neither Scott nor Derek really understood what Stiles mumbled into the pillow but they figured it was some sort of statement about how Scott should trust him on these things. “She seems to like you, and we _know_ that you like her. So, why not?”

 

“But what if she says no?” Scott idly wrung his hands in his lap as he looked between Derek and what he could see of the back of Stiles' head.

 

“She won't,” both of his friends replied simultaneously, though Stiles' answer was nearly inaudible.

 

Scott smiled hesitantly, then, stilling his hands. “You think so?”

 

“No, I’m setting you up on a mission for failure.” Derek's brow rose along with his sarcastic comment and Scott rolled his eyes in response. It made him smile, though, knowing that he had the support of his two closest friends. He did not exactly have the best track record with dating, though it was safe to say that it was better than Derek’s. Allison was so far out of his league, however, that he could not help but worry that he would mess everything up.

 

Later, after Scott excitedly left the room to go shower and come up with a plan of action as to where he would actually take Allison if she said yes (he was going to wait until morning, though that was really just because Derek reminded Scott that she was probably asleep by then), Stiles tilted his head up so that his chin rested on Derek’s pillow and he watched the elder man work. “It doesn't bother you?” questioned Stiles quietly. “That she's an Argent?”

 

Derek’s entire body stiffened as his pencil stilled against the paper. He took a few long seconds to force himself to relax with a heavy sigh and a shake of his head. “No,” replied Derek, slowly as though he was not entirely sure of his answer. “She's not... well, _her_. It's... difficult, but I can't... I can't hold Allison responsible for her aunt's behavior.”

 

Stiles smiled a little, nodding without lifting his head. “I think she'll be good for Scott.”

 

“Yeah,” Derek said with a chuckle and a slight smile at the way Stiles' voice slurred from his tiredness. “Get some sleep, Stiles.”

 

“M'kay, but 'm not moving.”

 

Derek laughed softly again, shaking his head idly while running a hand through his hair as he attempted to focus on his assignment once again. His attention kept getting pulled to the young man sprawled out on his bed, however; and, Derek sat back in his chair, slouching down slightly with a soft sigh. He sat there watching Stiles for only a few moments before he shook his head, picked up his pencil, and went back to his assignment.

 


	4. Three: the Beach and Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles enjoys a much needed break with Derek, but he'll soon find that he was right before. Everything is going to change.

 The weeks seemed to roll by faster than any of them had anticipated, and soon enough, they found themselves entering October. The leaves were already changing and the evenings grew cooler as the air dropped the sticky, humid feel of summer. One particular morning, Derek woke up alone in his dorm room, when he had fallen asleep with both Stiles and Scott sprawled out on his floor. He frowned a little when he found that neither of his best friends were there, but he understood at the same time. They did have other friends and lives outside of their little trio.

 

He was surprised to find a note from Stiles left on top of his sketchbook on a post-it note that read, _Morning, wolf boy! Went to the library to work on my book. Find me when you wake up if you've no other plans. -S_ Derek smiled a little to himself, though he rolled his eyes fondly at his friend's note. He then gathered his things to go take a shower and get ready for the day. Once he was ready, he made his way to the library, stopping at the coffee cart in the lobby before heading to the spot that Stiles frequented in the multistory library building.

 

Stiles was unsurprisingly there, sitting in one of the window seats in the back corner of the first floor. He had several books spread out across the seat, including a thesaurus, a dictionary, and a couple books on mythology that Derek had deemed correct in some aspects already. Small post it notes peeked out of the mythology books, marking pages that held useful information. The teen was focused on his laptop, which was perched in his lap as he typed away, pausing only to push his glasses back up his nose so that they sat correctly on his face again. His backpack sat open on the ground next to the window seat, a couple pencils on the floor next to it. Derek could not keep from smiling a little as he watched his friend for a moment before walking toward the other teen.

 

He stopped next to Stiles, holding out the cup of coffee he had gotten for him in front of Stiles' face, causing the teen to start backward slightly, almost hitting his head on the wall. “Jesus,” Stiles breathed before letting out a laugh as he grabbed the coffee cup. “Did you have to scare the crap out of me?”

 

“Course,” replied Derek with a smirk.

 

“I don't care. You brought me coffee. That makes up for it.” Stiles nodded before he took a drink out of the warm cup, smiling slightly when he found it was his favorite flavored coffee instead of the black that Derek usually drank. Stiles never minded black coffee, he just preferred it to be more on the sweet side. “You are the best.”

 

“I try.” Derek nodded a little before taking a drink of his own coffee as he used his other hand to shift aside Stiles' books in order to sit down next to him. “How's the book coming?”

 

Stiles smiled as he sat the coffee aside on the window seat between them, sitting up a little straighter. “Good! I think I’m about half-way done. So I’m on track with where we should be.”

 

“Anything I can help with?” Derek rested his coffee cup on his knee, hanging on to it enough that it would not fall over while watching Stiles as the other teen took another drink of his coffee before saving the document he was working on.

 

Stiles shook his head with a smile, closing the lid of his laptop. “Nah, not right now. I might bombard you with more questions later.” Stiles leaned forward enough to rest his arms on top of the laptop still sitting on his legs, twisting his coffee cup back and forth between his hands. “So, what're your plans for the day?”

 

Derek shrugged in answer. “No plans, really. What're you up to?”

 

“Ugh. This, but I could use a break. The words are all blurring together on the screen.” Stiles pulled a slight face, making Derek chuckle with a slight shake of his head.

 

The elder teen seemed to purse his lips slightly in thought, nodding a little before he set aside his coffee and reached down to grab Stiles' backpack. Without saying a word, Derek started to put Stiles' books into the bag, making the other teen's brow furrow as he watched for several moments before saying, “What're you doing, Der?”

 

“Just get your things,” Derek instructed, nodding once. He looked over at Stiles and smiled slightly. “Trust me, okay?”

 

Stiles worried at his lower lip for a moment before nodding. He handed his laptop over to Derek, who carefully slid it into the bag. Once everything was grabbed, the two of them stood up and started to the exit. Stiles tried to get his bag from Derek, but the other teen refused, carrying it for Stiles as he led the way to the bus stop. They talked the entire way about classes, and Scott's developing relationship with Allison, and how Danny was starting to see Isaac. They talked about anything but where they were going, because every time Stiles tried to get an answer out of Derek, he just got a smile in response.

 

When they stepped off the bus, Stiles squinted in the sun and held a hand up to shield his eyes. After he adjusted to the brightness, he dropped his hand and smiled, seeing that they were at the local beach overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The best part, in Stiles' opinion was that there was next to no one on the beach; just another couple down the way, running around the beach with laughter and smiles. “Oh wow,” said Stiles, another bright grin appearing on his features. “It's almost like home.”

 

“Yeah,” Derek agreed, nodding his head before starting to walk forward. Stiles stumbled a little in his hurry to join Derek. “I'd come here when I started feeling homesick. It didn't completely get rid of it, but it helps.”

 

Stiles nodded in understanding as they stopped at a large boulder several hundred yards away from the water, leaning back against it as Derek placed the backpack on the sand next to his feet. Neither one said anything else, just taking in the sound of the water hitting the sand, and birds in the near distance. Derek could make out the conversation of the couple down the way, but he was more tuned in to the sound of Stiles' steady heartbeat next to him. The younger teen had always enjoyed the beach, and could spend _days_ out there if someone had let him.

 

He was always slightly tanned because of it, and when he came home from a day at the beach, he always had an air of calmness about him that he did not usually have. He almost always smelt of sea salt and sand, which was why Derek had gotten to associate the beach with Stiles. He would never say that much, however. When Derek looked over at Stiles, he found the younger teen's eyes were closed as he enjoyed the slight breeze on his face. “We should come here more often,” Stiles said after a moment, opening his eyes to look over at Derek. He smiled when he found his best friend already looking in his direction. “Hey, thanks... for bringing me here.”

 

Stiles nodded a little as Derek gave one of those rare, actual smiles that both Scott and Stiles tried hard to make appear and said, “No problem, Stiles. I figured you would enjoy it.”

 

For a moment, Derek thought Stiles was going to lean in and close the small distance between them; but, the moment was broken when Stiles' cell phone started to ring loudly in his hoodie pocket. The younger teen sighed and leaned further away as he answered the call, holding the phone to his ear as he said, “Hello?” His brow furrowed a little as he listened to the frantic voice on the other end. He looked up to Derek as he stood up straight again. “Whoa, Allison. Calm down. I can't... What?” Derek could barely make out the sound of Allison’s voice from the small speaker over everything else, and had no idea what she was saying. “Shit. Yeah, no. We'll be there. Which one? Thanks.” Stiles hung up the phone and looked to Derek, his expression one of complete apprehension and worry. “It's Scott. He's been attacked.”

 

The words caused Derek to tense where he stood, a cloud forming over his features that were relaxed only moments before. “Come on, let's get to him,” Derek insisted as he grabbed Stiles' bag, and they quickly made their way back the way they came.

 

\---

 

“Scott McCall?” questioned Stiles at the front desk, tapping his fingers impatiently on the top of the counter as the nurse looked through the records. He only stilled his fingers when Derek took hold of his hand, making him release a breath he had not even realized that he was holding.

 

“Room 201,” the nurse answered after a moment, calling after them that he was still with the doctor as the two of them quickly made their way toward the elevator, hands still clasped between them. Neither one said a word as they went up to the second floor, nor as they exited the elevator and turned to figure out which direction they needed to go.

 

Derek gently squeezed Stiles' hand and led the other teen to their left, toward the lower numbered rooms. When they got closer to Scott's room, they found Allison sitting in a chair out in the hallway. She immediately stood up when she saw the two of them. “The doctor's checking the wound,” Allison said in a quiet but steady voice that did not give away her blood-shot eyes or the other obvious signs that she had been crying. “We were just out walking and this we-- _dog_ jumped out and bit him. Other people saw it, and Scott was brought in here.”

 

“Was it a...?” Stiles asked slowly, gesturing vaguely with his free hand. Both Allison and Derek knew that Stiles was asking whether or not Scott's attacker had been an alpha or not, as that would decide whether Scott would turn or just be in pain for a while.

 

“I don't know.” Allison’s voice was small as she shook her had, upset because she had not been able to protect Scott, upset that he was hurt in the first place.

 

The three of them looked toward the door to room 201 when it opened and the doctor stepped out into the hallway. The man's brow rose a little when he saw the three of them standing there, sure that the patient had only had the one person there only a few minutes before. “How is he?” Derek questioned, somehow managing to keep out the threatening edge to his voice that wanted to creep in. He gently squeezed Stiles' hand again, only relaxing a little when his friend returned the gesture silently.

 

“He's asleep now,” answered the doctor with a nod. “He was lucky, the dog missed anything vital. He'll be fine in a week or two.”  
  


“Can we see him?” Stiles asked, unable to tear his eyes away from the doorway that separated him and Derek from their best friend.

 

The doctor barely had a chance to nod before they were both side-stepping him in order to go into the room, where Scott lay on the bed, looking scarily pale. Scott's eyes opened just a little when he heard footsteps, having been faking sleep to get the doctor out of the room quicker. He sat up with a wince after realizing it was his friends, placing a hand on the stitches there. “I'm okay,” Scott insisted with a nod, glancing over Stiles' shoulder to where Allison stood in the doorway, looking just as concerned as the other two.

 

“Do you remember what happened?” Derek asked as he watched Scott for a moment, brow furrowing as Scott nodded slowly.

 

“I don't think it was an omega.” Scott shook his head a little. “I've heard of others being attacked too, and... well...”

 

“Well, what?” urged Stiles as he let go of Derek’s hand to move over and sit on the edge of Scott's bed.

 

Scott wet his lips with a heavy sigh, reaching up with one hand to ruffle his hair. “I can already feel it _healing_.”

 

\---

 

Several hours later, Derek and Stiles walked with a newly discharged Scott to a waiting cab to take them to the university. Allison had reluctantly left already, making Scott promise to call her later as she pressed a kiss to his cheek before leaving. “Have you told anyone back home?” Scott asked as they climbed into the backseat of the taxi, Stiles sitting between the other two.

 

Derek shook his head with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he said, “No, but we probably _should_. I need to let my mother know, and _your_ mom should know, Scott. This isn't just a thing that's going to go away. Everyone will know as soon as you get home.”

 

Scott nodded slowly as he looked at his hands in his lap, smiling faintly when Stiles reached over and squeezed his forearm. “Yeah, I know. I just... I don't want Mom to worry, you know?”

 

“She's Mom,” replied Stiles with a laugh and a shake of his head. “It's her job.” The three of them chuckled a little at that before falling into a companionable silence as their taxi carried them toward campus, orange streetlights casting a glow into the car as they passed. If Scott noticed the way that Stiles and Derek’s fingers were linked together between them again, he did not say anything.

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the graphic for this work [here](http://alicesfics.tumblr.com/post/45310593010/say-anything-sterek-au-teen-wolf-derek-had)!


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